I am an Associate Professor of Psychology and Assistant Director of the Center for Social and Behavioral Research at the University of Northern Iowa. I received my Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Iowa in 1988. My major area of study was Social Psychology with an emphasis in attitudes and psychophysiology. After completing my doctoral coursework, I worked in the private sector for a year as a research analyst for a major survey research firm before returning to The University of Iowa as the Program Director at the newly established Iowa Social Science Institute in 1988. In 1998, I became the Assistant Director of The University of Northern Iowa Center for Social and Behavioral Research (CSBR) and an Associate Professor of Psychology. I teach the Psychology of Gender Differences and supervise Master’s theses and research in the Psychology Department. I served on the College of Social and Behavioral Science Senate from 2000-2003. I chaired the University of Northern Iowa Human Participants Review Committee (IRB) from 2002-2006 and currently serve on the Board. In a related position, I also chaired the IRB task force for the Standards Committee of the American Association for Public Opinion Research and serve on their Standards Committee. In addition to my teaching, service, and administrative duties, I have collaborated with more than 80 investigators in the planning and oversight of a host of survey and evaluation projects including a number in the areas of public policy issues, health care delivery, and health care needs assessments. I have published research articles in survey methods, social science and health disciplines. My own funded research efforts have focused on the relationship between attitudes and infant feeding decisions (funded by the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health with Dr. Claibourne Dungy at the University of Iowa) and women’s access to prenatal care (initially funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with Dr. Herman Hein at the University of Iowa and currently funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health). In the Iowa Barriers to Prenatal Care Project, I have directed a 15-year project to assess barriers to prenatal care across the state of Iowa. In this census project, new mothers in hospitals across the state are asked to complete a brief questionnaire outlining their experiences and evaluating the care they have received. This questionnaire is then returned to the Center where it is scanned and analyzed. Approximately 18,000 questionnaires are collected each year in this ongoing project. I am currently directing a large project to develop interventions to reduce unintended pregnancy across the state of Iowa. In this project I'm collaborating with other faculty at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Since 1991, I have directed six large data collection projects in the area of health care consumer research resulting in over 40,000 completed self-administered or telephone interviews. The projects were targeted toward respondents in Iowa, Minnesota, Florida, Missouri, and Massachusetts and included the Central Iowa Project for the Health Policy Corporation of Iowa. In addition to the ongoing Iowa Barriers to Prenatal care project, other health-related projects include co-directing a large mental health needs assessment among public health clients, directing the data collection for a two statewide telephone surveys of children’s healthcare needs and directing a physician survey to assess colorectal cancer screening practices. In my work at CSBR, I also provide research and consulting for a host of other public policy and academic research projects.

I grew up in Kentucky and received my undergraduate degree from Murray State University. I live in Iowa City and have one son in high school and a daughter in college. I work a large part of the time with most of the balance being devoted to my children and their many activities. I also spend time volunteering with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate and have had the privilege of participating in three Jimmy Carter Work Project blitz-builds: one in Georgia in 2000 where I operated a Sawzall for the first time, the second in Alabama in 2003 where I learned a great deal about hanging siding and the third in 2005 in Michigan where I began to understand the nuances of drip-edge, soffit and fascia. When time allows, I also enjoy travel, movies, perennial gardening, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Aquillino, M. & Losch, M.E. (2005) Across the Fertility Lifespan: Desire for Pregnancy at Conception, The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing. 30, (4) 256-262.

Cacioppo, J. T., Petty, R. E., & Losch, M. E. (1986). Attributions of responsibility for helping and doing harm: Evidence for confusion of responsibility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 50, (1) 100-105.

Cacioppo, J. T., Petty, R. E., Losch, M. E., & Kim, H. S. (1986). Electromyographic activity over facial muscle regions can differentiate the valence and intensity of affective reactions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 50, 260-268.

De La Mora, A., Russell, D. W., Dungy, C. I., Losch, M., & Dusdieker, L. (1999). The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale: Analysis of reliability and validity. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 29, (11), 2362-2380.

Dungy, C.I., Christensen-Szalanski J., Losch, M.E., & Russell, D.W. (1992). The effect of discharge samples on duration of breastfeeding. Pediatrics. 90, 233-237.

Dungy, C.I., Losch, M.E., & Russell, D.W. (1994). Maternal attitudes as predictors of infant feeding decisions. Journal of the Association for Academic Minority Physicians. 159-164.

Dungy, C.I., Losch, M.E., Russell, D.W., Romitti, P., & Dusdieker, L.B. (1997). Hospital infant formula discharge packages: Do they affect duration of breastfeeding? Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 151, 724-729.

Dusdieker, L., Dungy, C.I., & Losch, M.E. (in press) Prenatal Office Practices Regarding Infant Feeding Choices, Clinical Pediatrics.

Losch, M. E. (1994). Cognitive dissonance. In Encyclopedia of Human Behavior NY: Academic Press. [Invited Paper]

Losch, M. E. & Cacioppo, J. T. (1990). Cognitive dissonance may enhance sympathetic tonus, but attitudes are changed to reduce negative affect rather than arousal. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 24, 289-304.

Losch, M.E., Dungy, C.I., Dusdieker, L.B. & Russell, D. (1995). The impact of attitudes on infant feeding decisions. Journal of Pediatrics. 126, 507-514.

Losch, M.E., Maitland, A.K., Lutz, G.M, & Mariolis, P. (2002). The effect of time of year of data collection on sample efficiency: An analysis of the behavioral risk factor surveillance data. Public Opinion Quarterly, 66;4, 594-607.

Losch, M.E. (2005). Field Periods. In Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion Benjamin Radcliff & Sam Best (Eds). Greenwood Press. [Invited paper].

Segre, L., Losch, M.E., & O’Hara, M. (2006) Race/Ethnicity and Perinatal Depressed Mood, Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology 22 (4), 99-106.

Losch, M.E. (in press) Institutional Review Boards. In Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods. Paul Lavrakas, (Ed). Sage Publications. [Invited paper].

Losch, M.E. (in press) Informed Consent. In Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods. Paul Lavrakas, (Ed). Sage Publications. [Invited paper].

PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER DIFFERENCES

Psychology 400:060 – Section 1

Fall 2007


Class Days/Time:	Tuesday/Thursday, 12:30pm-1:45pm	Location:	317 Sabin Hall

Instructor:	Mary Losch, Ph.D.	Office:	219 Sabin Hall

Telephone:	273-2105	Email:	mary.losch@uni.edu

Office Hours:	1:45pm-2:45pm, Tuesday/Thursday or by appointment
Website:	http://www.uni.edu/losch/

Required Texts: Psychology of Gender, 2^nd Edition, Helgeson.

Thinking Critically About Research on Sex and Gender, Caplan & Caplan.

Course Objectives: This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the psychological study of gender differences. The key components of the course include 1) the nature and meaning of gender and gender roles; 2) a review of the existing research on sex and gender differences (and similarities) including cross-cultural and nonhuman data; 3) an examination of gender development; and, 4) an exploration of the effects of stereotypes and roles including the impact of popular culture and media on those stereotypes.

Course Format: Class content will include lectures, class discussions, out-of-class assignments, in-class group activities, and occasional videos. Tests will include material from all of these sources and participation points will be given for attending, contributing to class discussions, in-class activities, and out-of-class assignments (see Grading below). Hence, class attendance is strongly required. Asking and/or answering questions and actively engaging in class discussions are expected and will result in a much more valuable academic experience. To facilitate discussion and activities, all assigned material should be read prior to class time. Information will also be communicated via class email list. All students are required to use their UNI or other email address during the semester.

Course Requirements:

Tests: There will be four unit tests; each covering approximately one-fourth of the course material. The tests will consist of multiple-choice questions. Two extra credit essay questions will be optional on each test. Test questions will be based on all sources of information including lectures, reading materials, texts, class activities and videos. Make-up tests will be given only for excused absences (serious illness or emergency) that can be documented (e.g., physician verification). Unexcused absences will result in a score of zero for that test.

Paper: One paper will be required. The paper should communicate a review of an issue, question, or area of research covered in class or in the text. The paper should be a formal, focused coverage of the issue including primary scientific journal citations and material not included in the class/text material. Paper topics must be approved and should be submitted no later than Sept 12. Specific paper guidelines will be distributed in class. The papers will be graded based on expressed understanding of the issue, clarity of thought, coherency of information, and overall writing competency. Papers should be 5-6 pages in length and are due Thursday, Oct 11. Please note: The first submission is NOT a rough draft. It should be your best effort. The papers will be graded and returned on Tuesday, Nov 13 with extensive comments and suggestions for improvements. The papers must be revised and resubmitted (both original and revision) by Tuesday, Nov 27. Students receiving 90% or more points on their first submission are not required to resubmit their papers for a second review but may do so to improve their grade.

Grading: Each test will have 100 points possible (6 optional extra-credit points may be added for each test). The paper will also be worth 100 points. Class attendance (20), participation (20), activities and assignments (60) will have a combined worth of 100 points for a total of 600 points possible for the class. Students missing more than 6 class periods for any reason will receive a 0 for both attendance and participation. Students missing more than 6 class periods for any reason will receive a 0 for both attendance and participation. All grading is on an absolute scale. No grading curves are utilized. Cheating on a test will result in a score of zero. Plagiarizing material in the paper or failing to revise and resubmit (unless the original grade was an A) will result in a paper grade of zero.

Final course grades are determined from the sum of the four test scores, the paper score (second submission grade), and your class participation/assignments. Students receiving 90% or more of the total points possible will receive an A, 80%-89% a B, 70%-79% a C, 60%-69% a D, less than 60% an F. Pluses and minuses will be assigned.

Class Calendar

[Note: This is a guideline and may be modified from time-to-time. Dates for class activities and assignments will vary and are not included in the calendar. Asterisks indicate due dates for out-of-class assignments]

Day	Date	Topic	Readings	Day	Date	Topic	Readings
T	Aug 21	Introduction to Course		Th	Oct 18	Friendship	Helgeson 8
Th	Aug 23	The Study of Gender	Helgeson 1	T	Oct 23	Friendship	Helgeson 8
T	Aug 28	Concepts & Measurement	Helgeson 2 Caplan 1-3	Th	Oct 25	Romantic Relationships	Helgeson 9
Th	Aug 30	Concepts & Measurement Sex Related Comparisons-Data	Helgeson 2-3 Caplan 1-3	T	Oct 30	Romantic Relationships	Helgeson 9
T	Sep 4	Sex Related Comparisons-Data Sex-Related Comparisons-Jeopardy	Helgeson 3 Caplan 4,5,10	Th	Nov 1*	Romantic Relationships/Sex Differences & Health	Helgeson 9-10
Th	Sep 6	Sex-Related Comparisons-Jeopardy	Helgeson 3	T	Nov 6	Sex Differences/Health	Helgeson 10
T	Sep 11	TEST 1		Th	Nov 8	TEST 3
Th	Sep 13	Sex Related Comparisons-Theory	Helgeson 4 Caplan 9	T	Nov 13	Relationships/Health	Helgeson 11
T	Sep 18	Sex Related Comparisons-Theory	Helgeson 4	Th	Nov 15	Relationships/Health	Helgeson 11
Th	Sep 20	Aggression	Helgeson 5 Caplan 7	T	Nov 20	Thanksgiving Break
T	Sept 25	Aggression	Helgeson 5	Th	Nov 22	Thanksgiving
Th	Sept 27*	Achievement	Helgeson 6	T	Nov 27	Work Roles/Health *Papers Due*	Helgeson 12
T	Oct 2	Achievement	Helgeson 6	Th	Nov 29	Mental Health	Helgeson 13
Th	Oct 4	Communication	Helgeson 7	T	Dec 4	Mental Health	Helgeson 13
T	Oct 9	Communication *(Papers Due)*	Helgeson 7	Th	Dec 6*	How Different?	Caplan 12
Th	Oct 11	Communication	Helgeson 7	Th	Dec 13	TEST 4 (FINAL)	3 PM
T	Oct 16	TEST 2

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) provides protection from illegal discrimination for qualified individuals with disabilities. Students requesting instructional accommodations due to disabilities must arrange for such accommodation through the Office of Disability Services. The ODS is located at: 213 Student Services Center, and the phone number is: 273-2676.

The Society was established in 1973 as Division 35 of the American Psychological Association. The Society is devoted to providing an organizational base for all feminists, women and men of all national origins who are interested in teaching, research, or practice in the psychology of women.

The Society was established in 1995 as Division 51 of the American Psychological Association. The Society promotes the critical study of how gender shapes and constricts men’s lives, and is committed to an enhancement of men’s capacity to experience their full human potential.

NOW's official statement of purpose, which Betty Friedan scribbled on a napkin, remains the same today: "to take action to bring women nto the full participation in the mainstream of American society ow, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly qual partnership with men."

TNOM is a heterosexual men's rights organization whose purpose is to protect the family, children, and men's rights and to prevent the further erosion of men's role in society.

This is an activist organization of men and women supporting positive changes for men.

Backlash is one of the more radical gender-related sites on the web. Though the site advocates the empowerment of women and recognizes the significance of women's causes, the site was largely developed to combat feminist extremism. The site proposes that the critiques of feminist extremism will reduce the backlash against women and the women's movement produced by radical or incendiary statements by feminists. One of the most interesting areas to examine is what everyone should know about feminist issues.

Promise Keepers is a fundamentalist organization dedicated to uniting men to be passionate followers of Jesus Christ through the communication of the 7 Promises.

National Congress for Fathers and Children. NCFC advocates for equal parental responsibility and protection of the father-child relationship.

OWL strives to improve the status and quality of life for midlife and older women.

A paper by Russell Eisenman entitled Men, Women, and Sex Differences: The Attitudes of Three Feminists--Gloria Steinem, Gloria Allred, and Bella Abzug is presented on this Web site. This paper is a case study of perspectives on sex differences of three prominent feminists.

ICRW strives to improve the lives of women in poverty, advance womens' equality and human rights, and contribute to the broader economic and social well-being. ICRW accomplishes this, in partnership with others, through research, capacity building and advocacy on issues affecting womens' economic, health and social status in low and middle income countries.

This page includes discussion of and excerpts from Will Roscoe's 1991 book entitled The Zuni Man-Woman which describes the Zuni berdache.

The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) is a peer support, education, and advocacy group for intersexuals. This Web site includes annotated bibliographies on intersexuality, scholarly and popular press resources on intersexuality, and numerous links to related sites.

This Info-Circumcision Web site by the Circumcision Information Resource Centre includes John Colapinto's original article entitled, The True Story of John/Joan, Rolling Stone (December 11, 1997). This article reveals details of the John/Joan case.

This GenderTalk Web Radio site allows visitors to listen to John Colapinto, author of As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl (HarperTrade, 2001), discuss the John/Joan case.

This website includes information about intelligence. You can take an online version of an IQ test as well as other assessments.

This site gives the history of intelligence testing and presents an interactive map, references, and contributors to the development of IQ testing.

The GrrlGamer webpage features reviews and sarcastic essays about the status of female characters. It also features women in the video game industry.

Women Gamers has this website which offers reviews of video games and provides a forum for women who are involved in video games.

The Freud Page contains links and a search engine to find information about Freud and psychoanalysis.

The Ethics Connection is devoted to ethics and ethical decision-making. Look for the paper about Carol Gilligan’s views in the publications section of this site.

William Pollack, author of Real Boys, maintains his own web site with advice to parents about raising happy boys who are well adjusted but not violent.

Barbie’s website is a world of pastels, presenting an attractive picture of this icon.

AdiosBarbie uses mostly bright colors and presents information about body image problems.

Girls Incorporated is an organization devoted to inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold. Their website includes information for adults who want to help girls achieve these goals. There are also games and exercises for girls.

Children Now is an organization with good information on child development. Look for the feature on the influence of media on gender role development.

This is an online peer-reviewed journal with articles focusing on various expressions of gender identity. A searchable archive of articles is available.

The International Foundation for Gender education is devoted to promoting self-definition and providing information about transgender individuals through its online newsletter, notices and updates. Links on this site will help interested individuals find a support group.

The Gender Identity Clinic of New England offers advice, publications, a newsletter and support for transsexuals at any stage.

The Intersex Society of North America maintains a web site of information and links.

The Renaissance Transgender Organization offers support for transgender individuals and those close to them.

About Gender is an extensive web site that contains topics related to gender, gender development, and gender identity. There is a link to an organization that offers support and information to individuals with gender dysphoria.

The Social Psychology Network is an organization that maintains an extensive web site with 5000 links to psychology related resources, including a list of links to sites with information about prejudice, discrimination and diversity; the psychology of gender; lesbian and gay issues; and homophobia, disability and other factors that can lead to stereotyping.

Salon.com presents articles about women and computers on the technology section of their web site. Look for the article on the gendering of computers for children. Another article reviewed the background of women’s web pages and how they have changed from feminist and groundbreaking to presentations that are more like traditional women’s magazines, contending that women remain stereotyped even when they go online.

Men for Change hosts these lessons aimed at 8^th and 9^th graders, which examine the stereotypes associated with being a lady and acting like a man.

Candy Tymson, Australian business educator and speaker, promotes her views on how the sexes can better communicate in the workplace on her site.

Gender and Communication Styles of Deborah Tannen. This web site provides an overview of Professor Deborah Tannen's work on gender and communication.

This web site is maintained by the University of Iowa Department of Communication Studies. There are links to articles and other resources in several media categories, including ads, TV, print and cyberspace.

This Christian Science Monitor article looks at contemporary boy's issues and the role of gender in the Littleton, Colorado school killings.

Salon.com offers an article "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not" by Susan Caba, which offers a review of Sarah Blaffer Hrdy’s book, Mother Nature: A History of Mothers, Infants, and Natural Selection (1999, Pantheon). Hrdy argues against the concept of maternal instinct, drawing from human and primate research.

The mission of Education Wife Assault is to inform and educate the community about the issue of wife assault/woman abuse in order to decrease the incidence of physical, psychological, emotional and sexual violence against women and the effect that woman abuse has on children.

The American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic Violence maintains this site devoted to ending domestic violence.

Sheridan Hill has written an article "In Defense of Men" that examines the statistics on domestic violence and shows that women are also violent toward men. There are also links to other information about partner violence.

This site provides a brief review of some of John Gottman's research on relationships.

This article on shared parenting is found on The Baby Center web site, first under Baby, then under Sex and Relationships.

Brigham Young University has this web site on "generative fathering" based on Erikson's crisis of generativty vs stagnation. Included are activities and ideas to encourage active participation by fathers in their children's lives.

A primary feature of the NetWorking Moms site is an archive of threads from an active discussion list on issues relevant to working mothers. Also included are personal stories about managing work and family responsibilities.

The Web site for the Welfare Made a Difference National Campaign includes personal stories of diverse individuals who are former welfare recipients.

This Web site from the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA) contains extensive resources on violence and abuse, including such topics as batterer intervention, survivor resources, and connections between welfare and domestic violence.

This article presents a critical review and analysis of the enormously popular self-help book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships (New York: HarperCollins, 1992).

This site presents a light-hearted, satirical, and impatient look at problems with relationships. It has a funny quiz and links to other sites, some funny, others serious.

On this site, you can find articles, discussion boards, relationship tests, and advice, all about love.

Everything you want to know about sexuality, sexual health, emotions, relationships, and physical health is on this question and answer site sponsored by Columbia University's Health Education Program.

The Sexual Health Network is dedicated to providing easy access to sexuality information, education, mutual support, counseling, therapy, healthcare, products and other resources for people with disabilities, illness, or natural changes throughout the lifecycle and those who love them or care for them.

The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) is a national, nonprofit organization which affirms that sexuality is a natural and healthy part of living. Incorporated in 1964, SIECUS develops, collects, and disseminates information, promotes comprehensive education about sexuality, and advocates the right of individuals to make responsible sexual choices.

On this site you can find articles, discussions boards, relationship tests, and advice, including sexuality quizzes and surveys.

This World Health Organization page has information on types of female genital surgery, activities against female genital mutilation, and a database of articles on female genital mutilation.

There are reports, research projects and other resources on gender inequities in education. Topics include gender gaps, sexual harassment in schools, single sex education, gender and technology, and schools shortchanging girls.

This site has considerable information on Title IX which prohibits gender discrimination in school sports programs.

This is a public education and advocacy site to promote policies that help men and women meet the demands of work and family. This site has statistics, research reports and other information about public policy issues, including the Family Medical Leave Act.

This is a provocative piece of speculative fiction entitled X: A Fabulous Child's Story about raising gender-neutral children. This is essential reading for thinking through the possibility of raising children to transcend gender.

28 Days	In the Bedroom	Stepmom
9 to 5	Jack	Sweet November
A Beautiful Mind	Jerry Maguire	The Bachelor
A Streetcar Named Desire	John Q	The Birdcage
About a Boy	Kate & Leopold	The Color Purple
Adam’s Rib	Keeping the Faith	The Family Man
Alien	Lara Croft: Tomb Raider	The First Wives Club
Animal House	Legally Blonde	The Green Mile
Beauty and the Beast	Love & Basketball	The Kid
Big Daddy	Meet the Fockers	The Little Mermaid
Boys Don’t Cry	Meet the Parents	The Majestic
Braveheart	Miss Congeniality	The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin	Mister Mom	The Messenger: Story of Joan of Arc
Charlie’s Angels	Moulin Rouge	The Odd Couple (1968)
Courage Under Fire	Mrs. Doubtfire	The Patriot
Dirty Harry	Mulan	The Powerpuff Girls Movie
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood	My Best Friend’s Wedding	The Pursuit of Happyness
Down to You	My Fair Lady	The Truth About Cats & Dogs
E.T. The Extraterrestrial	Never Been Kissed	The Wedding Planner
Erin Brockovich	Nine Months	Thelma & Louise
Ever After	Notting Hill	Titanic
Father of the Bride	Patch Adams	True Grit
Fight Club	Philadelphia	Unforgiven
Finding Forrester	Psycho (1960)	Varsity Blues
Fools Rush In	Riding In Cars With Boys	Victor/Victoria
Friday Night Lights	Romeo & Juliet	Waiting to Exhale
G.I. Jane	Runaway Bride	We Were Soldiers
Girl, Interrupted	Serendipity	What Lies Beneath
Gladiator	Saving Private Ryan	What Planet Are You From?
Gone With the Wind	Shallow Hal	What Women Want
Grease	Shrek/Shrek 2	When Harry Met Sally
Hope Floats	Some Like it Hot	Woman of the Year
How Stella Got her Groove Back	Spartacus (Uncut version)	Yentl
I Am Sam	Star Wars	You’ve Got Mail

Fall 2007

Class Calendar

Day

Readings

T

Th

Sept 27*

TEST 4 (FINAL)

3 PM

TEST 2